How hard can meditating be? Not hard at all. Simply shut your eyes and breath deeply. There you go, you’re meditating. Now you understand why meditation is so easy, convenient and practical.
The list of reported benefits from meditating include increased creativity, lower anxiety, fewer bouts of impatience and agitation, less depression, much better memory and an improved aptitude for learning. Those are just the more common effects. Meditating can slow the aging process giving the over 50 crowd heightened levels of stamina and a revitalized sense of well being. Studies have found people who meditate have lower levels of cortisol and lactose which helps to reduce stress levels. When you are in a restful state your heart and metabolic rates drop contributing to lower blood pressure and higher levels of oxygen in your blood.
Imagine a simple way to meditate that allows you to experience some of these results in just minutes. Find a comfortable place to sit, close your eyes and then make your entire body stiff as a board. Let out a deep sigh followed by a deep breath through your nose. As you breathe out your mouth feel the tension leave your muscles. Make sure you haven’t forgotten any areas of your body such as a tight fist.
After the first couple of times, you may still experience that stressful feeling in parts of your body. Tense yourself up again and concentrate on relaxing those tough spots. You could also silently repeat the word “relax” as your body releases the tension. The combination of mind and body will strengthen this process over time. As you become better at this exercise you’ll find it easier to relax by simply repeating “relax” a few times.
It’s important to learn to breathe through your nose. When you do so you draw more oxygen into your body because you are using more of your diaphragm. Try it out. Breathe in through your mouth. Your breathing is shallow. Now breathe through your nose and feel your abdomen extending as air gets further into the lungs.
The next part of this technique is to let yourself breathe comfortably in an even pattern. Focus on your breath passing in and out of your nose. Your mind may tend to drift and that’s OK. Just remember each time to bring your attention back to your breathing.
Sometimes your mind will be racing all over the place. Do not get frustrated. Instead, put a name to each interruption so they become something tangible that you can set aside. For example, you may be distracted by thoughts of a fight you had with a friend. Label the fight “anger” or another word you choose then go right back to your breathing. Find a way to deflect intrusions that works for you.
That’s all there is to it. Breathe and deflect for 5 to 10 minutes or around 100 breaths. When done, open your eyes and sit quietly for a few moments. Your mind will feel invigorated and your body will have found its relaxed state. Congratulations! You are now ready to handle whatever life sends your way.